


Nathan/Simon ship manifesto

by merrymelody



Category: Misfits (TV 2009)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 21:39:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11261541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merrymelody/pseuds/merrymelody





	1. The Characters

**Simon Bellamy: ‘I think I liked you better when you suffered from a crippling shyness’**

Simon begins the series a painfully shy young man, which is demonstrated by the power he acquires – invisibility.

 

Simon was given community service for attempted arson after an embarrassing altercation with a former childhood friend, Matt, led to him trying to burn down the boy’s house (albeit when no residents were present.)

 

After psychological assessment at a mental health unit, in which he was described as ‘alienated’ and ‘withdrawn’ but ‘highly intelligent’ and ‘methodical’, he was deemed fit for probation.

 

Simon is a character of contrasts; thoughtful and loyal, but with a capacity for abusing power over others, and with little sense of appropriate boundaries.

 

This is perhaps due to the shifts in direction for the character – the original plan was for Simon to be killed or institutionalized by the other group members in the S1 finale after becoming a super-villain; but the actor’s popularity meant that instead, Simon stayed for the first three seasons, halfway through the second season emerging as the ‘Superhoodie’ heroic figure.

 

Even later planning led to a pairing with Alisha, one of the two female leads – writer and creator Howard Overman planned the Superhoodie/Simon plot with the rewrites of the S1 finale; but originally planned for Alisha to be paired with a ‘lucky’ guy (who’s power would be the immunity to her own, a lust-creating power which isolates her from normal human interaction), before realising the two plots could be combined.

 

As such, the focal points of Simon’s character waver dramatically.

 

S2 could be seen as the most successful at portraying the character as awkward but not villainous, but the development of the Superhoodie plotline arguably flattens out his more unique traits in favour of a more generic figure.

 

The Superhoodie!Simon/Alisha pairing also tightens the focus developed from late S1 and early S2 from a character who’s motivated primarily by membership to a group and having friends for the first time in his life; to plots centring around fulfilling his preordained fate to make Alisha fall in love with him.

 

Outside of his relationship with Alisha, Simon is particularly close to Kelly and Nathan.

 

The Kelly interaction is dropped in later seasons somewhat; but Kelly is the first of the community service group to treat Simon with any form of kindness.

 

A cut scenes from S1 includes him verbalising what her friendship means to him: ‘You’re the only one of them who talks to me, we have to stick together’.

 

Kelly is extremely protective of Simon, and threatens both Curtis and Nathan when she thinks they’re being cruel to him.

 

Likewise, Simon tries to comfort her, albeit awkwardly - for example, when she is made temporarily bald, he shyly tells her he’s ‘sorry’ to hear that.

 

This friendship between the two encompasses both Kelly and Simon’s turbulent relationships with Nathan, and the S1 finale is bookended with two scenes of Kelly and Simon alone, discussing Nathan.

 

The first is Kelly comforting Simon. Simon at this point is tense and upset, hiding a secret from the others, and Nathan’s usual taunting has caused him to lose his temper for once.

 

Kelly, aware due to her telepathy that ‘something’s going on with (him)’, but not what specifically, tells Simon to ignore the teasing, offering that Nathan is a ‘dick’, who ‘doesn’t care what people say’ to him, and that he thinks this is ‘the same for everyone’, to which Simon immediately creates a link between his reaction to Nathan and Kelly’s, saying ‘Me and you, we’re not like that’ (e.g. they care about and are hurt by his insults.)

 

The events of this episode result in Nathan’s death, and it’s Simon and Kelly who are most upset, as he tells her privately: ‘I tried to save him. There was nothing I could do. I’m sorry’, and gives her a DVD of footage he’d filmed of Nathan.

 

No one has a happy ending from the original cast, with Simon and Alisha no exception; and the resolution to the S3 finale is that Alisha is killed, with Simon going back in time to fulfill his role as the Superhoodie and ‘make her fall in love with me’, so they can eternally loop in time.

 

**Nathan Young: ‘You annoy people’.**

 

The breakout character of the series, with the most quotable lines; Nathan is a cheerful hedonist, his philosophy encapsulated by his speech in the S1 finale about youth being the time you’re supposed to ‘screw up’ as ‘this is it’.

 

Inappropriate, flaky, and irritating; Nathan is rarely serious, loving to push boundaries in order to get attention, whether positive or negative.

 

Only in the finale of the first season is Nathan’s power finally revealed – immortality, reflective of his casual attitude to life.  

 

While Curtis and Alisha remain annoyed by Nathan through the show’s run, Kelly and Simon are often charmed by him, despite themselves.

 

There’s a will-they won’t-they theme to Kelly and Nathan’s relationship for the first season and a half, and while the two don’t end up together, Kelly’s telepathy enables her to see Nathan’s less abrasive side, and they have one of the show’s more touching friendships.

 

With regards to Simon, Nathan and he represent polar opposites. Where Simon is a lonely, awkward introvert; Nathan is a lonely, awkward extrovert.

 

Where Simon wears his heart on his sleeve, which can be extremely sympathetic or extremely creepy, sometimes both; Nathan avoids ‘emotional shit’ and showing his feelings, constantly insulting the people around him.

 

However, when it comes to it, we see he’s actually as attached to the group as they are to him, if not more so – it’s significant that Nathan and Simon are the first characters to refer to the group as their (only) friends.

 

In an alternate timeline in which the others are dead, with Nathan the only survivor, we see that he’s completely broken by the loss, with the camera shot from his POV focusing on memorial photographs of Kelly and Simon in particular.  

 

While Kelly is under the influence of a brainwashing cult and becomes demure, he confesses that despite his previous mockery of her appearance and personality; he actually prefers her combative attitude and finds her attractive.  

 

This is mirrored by his speech in S2, under the influence of a power which causes him to fall in love with Simon; when he confides in Kelly that it’s easier for him to be ‘mean’ and ‘shit all over’ people than admit that he has positive feelings for them.

 

By S2, the other group members seem to accept teasing as the way Nathan communicates. In the last episode featuring the original cast, Curtis’ ‘I can’t wait to not hear the shit you talk,’ is greeted with a sarcastically affectionate: ‘Aw, I’ll miss you too!’

 

Outside of the ABSO five, Nathan has few personal relationships, as evidenced by the pilot when his mum kicks him out (for arguing with her new boyfriend), and he ends up homeless and sleeping in the community centre.

 

Nathan refers to his mother often enough to suggest he’s a mummy’s boy (upon discovering his immortality, he immediately goes to tell her he’s not dead; in contrast, his father is not informed of his power, instead being told that he faked his own death as an insurance scam.)

However, from her on-screen appearances, their relationship can be fraught, and we see Nathan making a rare non-selfish effort when she offers to have him back and he refuses in order to give her and her boyfriend space.  

 

Nathan has a strained relationship with his father, Mike, who was unfaithful to his wife before deserting Nathan and her, and who by his own admittance has not been a good father. In S2, we also meet Nathan’s half-brother, Jamie, a son of Mike’s that he’d never acknowledged.

 

Jamie is probably Nathan’s most positive relationship within his family, although he, too, is volatile and aggressive – it’s significant that every Young we meet is quick to lose their temper. Jamie greets his father on their first meeting by hitting him with a toaster; Nathan hits his mother’s boyfriend, causing her to slap him in return; and punches his father, who hits him right back.

 

Nathan also makes repeated references to both being sexually abused as a child and lying about the same (in an example of the show’s dark humour, his father doesn’t remember which story is which), which garners a casual approach from both parents.

 

Nathan appears to have internalised this attitude to some extent, trying to encourage Jamie to form a relationship with their father by accepting responsibility for being a difficult child; to the extent of which he romanticises an experience with a sexual predator by arguing that his attentions were preferable to his father’s neglect: ‘That pervert cared more about me (than my own dad)…he would have taken me to the zoo.’

 

With regards to romantic relationships, Nathan enthusiastically pursues girls, but with limited success due to his clumsy approach and selfish attitude.

 

Both Nathan and Simon are repeatedly linked with sexuality outside of the traditional ‘norm’, however.

 

Simon under Alisha’s lust power influence shocks the others, going from a socially phobic virgin to reactions like: ‘I want to rip your clothes off and piss on your tits’ and ‘I want to shove my cock in your hairy armpit!’

 

With regards to Nathan, his mother states that she’s relieved her boyfriend, Jeremy’s power is ‘only’ taking on the mind-set of a dog, because there are ‘men who dress up in women’s clothes’, to which Nathan, who occasionally wears drag himself, instantly agrees: ‘they’re sick perverts’. When Nathan confronts her with evidence that Jeremy was found naked on the street (‘Then how do I know he’s got a massive cock?!’), she denies it, suggesting: ‘Maybe you’ve been watching him in the shower’?

 

Nathan mentions having slept with a ‘ladyboy’ in 2x7, and when under the tattooist Vince’s power is dismissive of sexuality identities as ‘labels’, referring to himself afterwards as ‘98% certain’ he’s straight; but it’s difficult to imagine him refusing anyone willing to sleep with him, as he notes: ‘(I) think about shagging everyone.’

 

Personality wise, Nathan is easily distracted, and has an almost sociopathic disregard for others.

 

This creates another interesting parallel with Simon – Simon openly cares about people and wants desperately to connect with them; but at rejection or even established boundaries, will quickly resort to methods such as spying on, following, and filming them in order to force intimacy; and can have a utilitarian attitude to harm coming to those outside the group.

 

Nathan openly disregards people (he can’t remember the name of a boy killed in front of him, blithely suggesting ‘He wouldn’t have fit in anyway!’) and insults them constantly, making it a point of pride not to care what people say to him or have any needs beyond the physical; but is actually as needy for connection as Simon.

 

In a reversal of expectations, much as Simon the shy geek has a hidden kinky side; it’s Nathan, the foul-mouthed prick who brags about trying to suck himself off and ‘tripling’ (don’t ask) who has a hidden soft side, and forms bonds extremely quickly.

 

When meeting his younger half-brother, he immediately takes on a caring role (making him food, giving him his own bed, and bringing him a blanket and an ice pack); cheerfully stating on their introduction: ‘I’ve always wanted a brother!’

 

His lack of family also causes him to be influenced by a baby, Finn, who’s mind control power leads to Nathan trying to assume a role as an unlikely father figure.

 

He and Kelly are later influenced into falling in love (Nathan with Simon, Kelly with Vince, the tattoo artist), and while Nathan remains his crude self (‘Why don’t we slip your trousers off? I wanna see it!’), he also reveals more tenderness in his attempts than perhaps he’d like to; writing love letters, and again, trying to assume a protective role – when the group spot Superhoodie brandishing an object and assume it’s a gun, Nathan shields Simon behind him.

 

Meeting a pregnant girl, Marnie, he’s quick to fall in love with her almost instantly, and despite his previous irresponsibility, ends up offering to take care of her and her baby.

 

In one of Misfits slightly less depressing endings, he and Marnie end up engaged; before Nathan is jailed for cheating a Las Vegas casino.  


	2. The Pairing: Well, Maybe I Like Him Better Then I Let On - S1

**S1.1**

Nathan and Simon react to each other with volatility almost instantly. Nathan is the first to acknowledge and address Simon, taunting: ‘alright there, weird kid’.

Of the five Misfits characters, three in particular seek attention from the others: Nathan, Simon and Alisha.

While Alisha tends to prefer male approval (in S1, she’s paired with Curtis, who she clearly focuses on in the pilot), Nathan and Simon’s approach is far more haphazard.

Simon’s desire to interact with the others is demonstrated by his constant filming of them on his mobile phone, and his odd suggestions; Nathan’s by his inability to be nice even when it would be in his best interests.

We see Nathan rejected by his other friends when he start phone calls asking for a place to stay with ‘How’s the herpes?’, for example; and despite warning the others to stay quiet when asked about the missing Tony and Gary, he seems unable to resist behaving inappropriately himself.

While Simon is hurt by negative attention, but lacks the social skills to know how to approach people; in Nathan’s case, any attention is better than nothing, and we see here he’s provocative to everyone, slapping Curtis’ arse, miming blowing a kiss at Gary, and telling Curtis it’s 'inevitable' that they’ll end up sleeping with Kelly and Alisha, to Curtis’ disgust (‘And the girls, like, do they get a say in this?’)

(Nathan has a habit of very performative masculinity in front of other men when he meets them, particularly those he views as rivals. For example, the audience is aware early on that Nathan is attracted to Kelly; but he's so immature with his approach that he angers not only her but also Curtis here. Similarly, when first meeting his brother, Jamie, Nathan goes OTT presenting his hetero, alpha male image: 'I love burgers, I love breasts, it's like a meal deal!')

Interestingly, the person Nathan is least interested in is Alisha, the embodiment of heterosexual lust (while we can assume her power would work on girls, too, the writing of Alisha betrays a very male perspective, and her power is mostly used as a ‘punishment’ for her promiscuity, and to serve the male gaze.)

His dismissive attitude to her (‘Do you want to know what I did?’ ‘Not really, no.’) prompts her to fellate a water-bottle in front of the boys.

All look taken by her display, however, while Simon and Curtis gulp and look shocked but aroused; Nathan starts mouthing along, as if mirroring performing a blow-job himself.

 

Curtis and Gary are quick to react with first indifference and then violence to Nathan’s taunts, however, leading Nathan to focus his teasing on Simon, specifically.

Simon is a particularly easy target for insults with his intensity (‘I’m not a pervert! I tried to burn someone’s house down!’) and shyness (‘Squeak up!’) and Nathan recognises this instantly.

Even by his own scatological standards, he’s fixated in particular on Simon’s sexuality, asking him what his crime was: ‘No offence, but you look like a panty sniffer’, mimicking masturbating at him, mock-stuttering ‘wanker!’, twice asking him if he’s a virgin, and fixating even as they bury bodies on Simon’s reaction to Alisha’s power.

Simon is as incapable as Nathan of ignoring attention, negative though it is, and invariably responds. At Nathan’s ‘He can do something! Him!’ insult, he suggests, correctly as it turns out, that despite all evidence to the contrary, Nathan may have a undiscovered power.

The episode also features the ‘lonely souls’ sequence showing how isolated all the group are, despite their aggressive attitudes - Curtis obsessively watches his glory days of running; Alisha gets ready for a night out but decides not to attend; Kelly splits up with her fiancé; Nathan is left homeless and alone in the community centre; and Simon spends a night in a bar smiling, surrounded by friends (including Matt, the boy who’s house he tried to burn down) before the camera pulls back to reveal that he’s actually invisible.

[Gif set 1.1](http://iheartsheehan.tumblr.com/post/33382597219/nathan-and-simon-per-episode-season-1)

**S1.2**

The second episode, mainly focusing on Nathan’s relationship with Ruth, an 82 year old woman who’s power is to appear youthful; also introduces Simon’s first purposeful voyeurism.

Turning invisible is a pattern for Simon when rejected, but his behaviour towards women is particularly predatory when other males reject his friendship overtures – an episode in which he goes to meet Matt, who accidentally texted him, results in his humiliated exit from a club. Finding an unconscious Kelly (at this point, a stranger), he reaches out to touch her crotch.

Here, Simon, while filming Nathan speak, offers suggestions and even help at Nathan’s request for the gang to accompany him on finding out what his mother’s boyfriend is up to. Nathan offers a harsh rejection (‘The two of us, buddying up? I’m not feeling it’), prompting Simon to exit to the locker room, where the girls begin to get changed.

Simon’s loneliness is further demonstrated with his online discussions with shygirl18 (in actual fact, Sally the probation worker, trying to investigate her fiance’s disappearance) – while conversing with her, he’s listening to a video he’s recorded of the others, and tells her: ‘they ignore me’.

There’s also a clear division between Simon’s attitude to the mysterious events post-storm, and the others – this shifts in later episodes as they get to know each other, but it’s pretty much guaranteed that with an occurrence, Simon will be curious, but mistrustful of authority (perhaps due to his interest in science fiction), whereas Nathan (and Alisha, who repeatedly expresses the desire for ‘a normal life’) prefer denial.

Simon’s intuition also gives him his first chance to take a little revenge on Nathan – Kelly’s telepathy reveals Nathan slept with Ruth (prior to his discovery of her power.) The others mock Nathan, with a mixture of glee (Alisha) and distaste (Curtis), but Simon is first to ask ‘Did you enjoy it?’

Nathan’s ‘Shut up you little freak!’ is revealing, and Simon, grinning at the other group members, says: ‘I think he enjoyed it.’

The original script cut several lines from this episode, including more of Nathan’s fixation on Simon’s love life (reacting to his mention of Terminator with ‘This is why you’re not getting laid’ and his having to dance with an elderly woman at the community centre with ‘Have you pulled?’) although acting directions also alter in the final cut – originally when Nathan shows Simon an explicit photo of his stepfather’s penis on his phone, Simon was to react with a grimace, but instead in the scene as shot, he smiles at Nathan.

[Gif set 1.2](http://iheartsheehan.tumblr.com/post/33913490919/nathan-and-simon-per-episode-season-1)

**S1.3**

This episode, while mainly focusing on Alisha’s power, advances Simon’s development, as he slowly begins to win over the group with his strategic thinking.

Nathan in particular swiftly relies on Simon as the smart one: ‘You’re the one with all the ideas!’ and we see in 1x6 and 2x4, looks to him first when there’s trouble.

Simon’s pessimism easily unnerves Nathan, however, and this episode also introduces his common whine of ‘Why would you say something like that?’ in reaction to Simon voicing potentially bleak outcomes.

However, Nathan’s own brand of trouble-making is also of value for once. When everyone freezes in terror at Sally’s imminent discovery of the dead bodies the group are trying to transport to a new burial spot, Nathan throws a brick at her car window, creating a diversion.

Their efforts to hide Tony and Gary’s bodies are eventually successful, and Simon receives praise from the whole group for his idea of a safe place, including Nathan’s: ‘Nice one, weird kid’.

The episode concludes with Simon, flushed with new confidence after the other’s compliments, asking the group for a drink.

They refuse - perhaps a little unnerved by his referring to it as an ‘ironic fuck you to the (dead) probation worker’.

Alisha leaves without engaging, Curtis following her.

Simon then asks Nathan ‘Do you want to come for a drink?’

Nathan replies ‘Are you asking me on a date?’

Simon stutters ‘No, I – meant all of us’, to which Nathan replies ‘Did you? I am not your whore!’

Kelly also exits, apologetically, but the group ignoring Simon prompts him to turn invisible involuntarily, collapsing on the ground.

[Gif set 1.3](http://iheartsheehan.tumblr.com/post/34442783892/nathan-and-simon-per-episode-season-1)

**S1.4**

The next episode focuses on Curtis’ power, as he attempts to fix the mistake that got him community service.

Howard Overman describes the series as featuring very few ad-libs, with the only one he recalled being Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Curtis)’s: ‘Don’t get caught’.

However, here there’s several unscripted exchanges, including Kelly and Alisha discussing Alisha and Curtis’ relationship (‘disgusting!’); Simon, Kelly and Nathan mocking Alisha and Curtis’ mutual masturbation (Simon demonstrates his literalism: when Nathan says ‘She was double-clicking the mouse’ Simon asks: ‘by a computer?’ before suggesting ‘You should have filmed it’, as Nathan teases: ‘Work that bean, Kelly, my love!) and Nathan humping Simon’s leg and groping him with a litter pick (‘It’s not gay if I wank you off with the grabber, we’re not touching!’)

[Gif set 1.4](http://iheartsheehan.tumblr.com/post/35084819340/nathan-and-simon-per-episode-season-1)

**S1.5**

The fifth episode advances Sally the probation worker’s attempts to find an in with the group.

Alisha previously rejected her attempts at female bonding; but her interview with Simon bears fruit, and her calling Nathan a ‘twat’, gets Simon to react with positivity for the first time as he smiles and agrees.

(Interestingly by contrast, there’s an attempt by Sally to find out about Simon’s dynamics within the group: ‘So what else do you lot get up to when I'm not around?’ in which she refers to Alisha as ‘beautiful’, which the script specifies as ‘mystifying’ Simon as he ‘hadn’t noticed.’)

Nathan, for his part, questions why Simon knows Sally and Tony’s names at all (‘Do you love him?’ is a repeated refrain for Nathan, about or to Simon) and has noted the time he spends with her (‘he’s always sucking up to her, such a little arsekisser’.)

The episode begins with Simon filming the others as Nathan snatches his phone, bellowing ‘he’s trying to kiss me!’ and calling Simon a ‘pervert’ so it’s suitable that the episode ends similarly, with Sally discovering the video Simon recorded of Nathan in 1x2, in which he mentions their culpability in Tony’s death.

There’s darkness to both Sally and Simon’s characters here – Sally seems to have taken the undercover role a little too seriously, and what begins as an attempt at manipulating Simon into revealing his knowledge swiftly becomes creepy, as she abuses her position and leads Simon to believe she’s romantically interested in him.

As for Simon, despite having had his first kiss with Sally, he finishes their evening by spying on her and filming her sleeping; and is seemingly compelled to hold onto the recordings he makes of her and the group, despite being evidence of their culpability.

This episode begins the theme of Simon referring to the group as a whole as his friends, although at this point, it’s still not necessarily reciprocated.

Sally’s attempts to persuade him to help her and turn on the others backfire when she inadvertently lets slip that she was messaging him, and when she tells him ‘You don’t owe them anything’, he responds: ‘They’re the only friends I’ve got.’

Simon is at this point becoming more comfortable within the group – he bonds with Curtis over the latter witnessing his and Sally’s flirtation (‘Fit older woman, respect!’); a cut scene involved Kelly urging him to pursue a relationship as lots of girls like ‘nice, quiet, handsome guys’; and the group unite to offer assistance when Nathan is influenced by baby Finn’s power.

A point of note is that when Simon refers to the group in plural, he often specifies Nathan as the focal point (his discussion in 2x1 about having friends for the first time is punctuated by his addressing Nathan specifically: ‘I just want to be your friend’. In 2x6, when he says how meeting the others was the best time of his life, the camera cuts to Nathan in sharp focus, looking oddly serious, while the others are blurred into the background.)

Here, when Curtis discovers his and Sally’s relationship, Simon desperately tells him: ‘Don’t tell the others! Don’t tell Nathan.’

However, this fear of how Nathan will react is clearly not motivated by personal dislike - when Kelly invites Nathan over for a home-cooked meal, and Nathan joyously announces to Simon ‘I’m in there!’, blowing a kiss in his direction, Simon smiles affectionately.

[Gif set 1.5](http://iheartsheehan.tumblr.com/post/37349546849/nathan-and-simon-per-episode-season-1)

**S1.6**

The season 1 finale concludes.

Howard Overman noted that he always planned the reveal of Superhoodie’s identity around the scene of him rescuing Nathan on his BMX; whereas the original script of Simon becoming an ‘evil’ character had him variously punching Nathan and beating him with a baseball bat prior to leaving him to the cult-like group ‘Virtue’; so this particular relationship was always the focus for revealing Simon’s character, for heroic or villainous purposes.

Here, Simon’s fractured mental state after accidentally killing Sally leads to his isolation from the group.

First, Alisha and then Curtis’ brainwashing by ‘Virtue’ leaves Kelly, Simon and Nathan as a trio.

However, Nathan, unable to recognise that Simon is losing it (‘This is intense!’), provokes Simon’s resentment.

While Nathan is as adept at recognising tells as any bully (he’s aware that Simon was ‘sucking up’ to Sally recently, and the script describes his ‘Did you just grow a set of balls?’ as being prompted by ‘detecting’ Simon’s new found confidence. Simon retorts angrily: 'I've got balls, you've just never seen them', to Nathan's delighted: 'That's the gayest thing I've ever heard!'), here he seems motivated not by cruelty so much as social ineptitude and an inability to know when to stop – upon Kelly’s reprimands, he argues ‘I’m just screwing around’, and tries to compliment Simon later: ‘Come on, Barry, you’re good at this stuff!’ only to further annoy Simon with the misnomer.

(Names are another performance for Nathan - his self-absorption is a running joke, and in later episodes he gestures to Simon for prompts. 

However, Nathan exaggerates this trait purposefully, too - he pretends not to recall Kelly's name when discussing her with Curtis and Simon at their first meeting, to prevent them from realising he likes her.  
When he and Jamie discuss her and Lily, he describes Lily as 'the pretty one' in an unflattering comparison to prevent Jamie pursuing Kelly.

Likewise, the nickname 'Barry' for Simon begins in this episode, becoming a term of teasing affection. 

Nathan uses it when talking to himself, and others, even when it would be to his detriment (he fails to contact Simon from jail as Rudy answers: 'there's no one called Barry here, mate'.)  
However, when he's trying to seduce Simon under a power's influence, he instantly shifts to using his given name, betraying that his recall is actually much better than he lets on.)

When Kelly, separated from the boys, is caught by the Virtue group, Simon grabs a protesting Nathan’s wrist and drags him away.

However when Nathan tells him ‘Save us’, he asks disbelievingly: ‘After everything you’ve done to me, you want me to save you?’

Nathan replies: ‘Yes! Get on with it, you little freak!’ and Simon angrily leaves Nathan alone, using his invisibility to escape.

Ironically, this point is the first time anyone refers to Simon as their friend, as Nathan protests: ‘You’re going to save yourself? You selfish bastard! I’ll remember this! I thought we were friends!’

The mysterious Superhoodie figure, later revealed as Future Simon, swiftly rescues him, however.

Meanwhile, the present Simon retreats to the community centre, where he's stored Sally's body.

While Superhoodie in S2/3 notes he returned specifically for Alisha, it’s interesting to note here that the ‘only friends I’ve got’ and the ‘all of you’ Simon claims he killed Sally to protect are disregarded. Simon never has an onscreen reaction to leaving Kelly (it’s Nathan who apologises: ‘I never should have left you’), or to the concept that his inaction here leaves all of his friends vulnerable. The only character he takes initiative to help initially and shows regret about abandoning is Nathan.

Nathan takes Rachel, the villain, onto the centre's roof, ordering her to ‘turn them back’ and during his speech trying to convince the others not to listen to her; the voice-over breathing effects and camerawork indicates that Simon is observing, invisibly.

Nathan and Rachel argue as it’s revealed his threats are empty and he’s unarmed, leads to a struggle and Rachel falling to her death.

When Nathan stumbles backwards, Simon appears, grabbing his hand; but too late, and Nathan, too, falls off the roof, impaling himself on a railing.

Simon and Kelly’s reactions are the focal points of the episode from then on – we cut from Kelly crying and begging Curtis: ‘do something! He’s not allowed to die!'; to a close up of Simon’s horrified face, now alone on the rooftop.

Alisha and Curtis, by comparison, are clearly shaken, but are first to leave the funeral, with Alisha inadvertently suggesting they ‘celebrate’ with a drink.

Meanwhile, Simon suggests a toast to Nathan, communicating with Kelly telepathically that he’s sorry, before presenting her with the DVD he made of the footage filmed of Nathan.

The series ends with Nathan waking up in his coffin, alive and immortal but trapped.

[Gif set 1.6](http://iheartsheehan.tumblr.com/post/39676291164/nathan-and-simon-per-episode-season-1)

 

 **Extras:** Several films were shot as online extras and included on the DVD. In the first season, these are referred to as shot by Simon on his mobile phone, in the second as surveillance footage recorded by the Superhoodie.

Significant ones are in Season 1 are Simon assisting Nathan in finding his lost drugs, filming as Nathan questions Kelly and Curtis before realizing he’d hidden it and forgotten, gesturing to Simon: ‘Shhh’. There’s also Simon trying to help Nathan discover what his power could be; and ‘Girl Talk’ in which Simon sneaks into the probation worker’s office to read his personnel file. The girls enter and he records them before alerting them to his presence, with Alisha threatening to use her power on him to his protests: ‘Don’t touch me!’

Finally, there’s an unreleased confession video from Simon. I would suspect this was shot in order to try to adjust his characterisation once it was decided not to kill him off, as it’s a sympathetic defense in which Simon establishes his devotion to his friends.

[Simon explains](http://captaindelafere.tumblr.com/post/9514887805)


	3. The Pairing: S2 1-3

**S2**

The second season is the last to feature both Simon and Nathan, with Robert Sheehan (Nathan) leaving at the end of Season 2, with a short mini-episode to explain his absence.

It also expands the show’s social media promotion, with twitter accounts established for Kelly, Nathan and Simon.

These accompanied episodes with additional commentary, as well as answering selected questions from viewers.

The longer-running threads between Nathan and Simon in particular were collected in the accompanying book, as well as scenes from two scripts that were eventually rethought.

Simon’s character, being the one in the show most associated with the internet, also had [Simon's flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/simonmisfits/).

It’s not known how much characterisation or planning went into these, but it’s interesting that the photographs of Alisha seem to keep to the S1 portrayal of Simon as finding her attractive but in a somewhat sinister way, with comments like: ‘with some people, just by squinting you can tell what they're going to look like when they're old. Or dead’, ‘It's like wildlife photography - much easier when the subject doesn't know you're there,’ and ‘I like Alisha's belt. It reminds me of a snake clip belt I had as a kid. I was going to ask to borrow it but she gave me a scary look.’

The photograph of Nathan’s caption is: ‘I told Nathan I thought he had good bone structure. He called me an uphill-gardening-turd-burglar. Does it count as homophobia if I'm not gay?’

[Flickr photo](https://www.flickr.com/photos/simonmisfits/4153011356/)

**S2.1**

The second season begins with the mysterious Superhoodie in his lair, walls covered with clocks set to various countdowns as well as photographs of the misfits.

He fires a paper aeroplane at Kelly, which says ‘Go to his grave’.

Kelly’s telepathy at the graveside enables her to realise Nathan is alive in his coffin (or as she puts it: ‘I think he was knocking one out.’ Simon: ‘That does sound like him.’), and they dig him up.

His first reactions are to Kelly (‘I thought I’d never see her again!’) and Simon, who he asks ‘What was all that on the roof?!’

Simon protests ‘I tried to save you!’ to which Nathan replies ‘You failed spectacularly, didn’t you?’

Simon looks crushed, and when Nathan complains of being hungry, is the only one to offer anything, albeit tutti frutti chewing gum.

Back at the community centre, a former friend of Simon’s from psychological assessment, Lucy, appears.

Nathan and Alisha in particular are quick to pick up on her interest in Simon, with Alisha asking ‘Are you trying to shag her?’ and Nathan interjecting with ‘She’s not that mentally ill’.

The camera focuses on a rare interaction between Nathan and Alisha as Lucy jealously asks: ‘Were you with them?’ and their cruelty trips them both up – Lucy takes Alisha’s form to give Simon a blowjob, and Kelly’s to reject Nathan.

Nathan and Kelly seem poised to pick up where they left off, although the actors describe the romance as rooted in ‘boredom’ as much as anything else, with Nathan confessing to her: ‘I fancy you’, but also describing their hook-up as ‘inevitable’, calling to mind the pilot scene in which Nathan talks about the potential for pairing up as: ‘going to happen’ because they’re ‘a group of young people doing mindless shit all day’.

When Kelly agrees nonchalantly to sex, he seems surprised: ‘Really? Just like that?’ suggesting that they’ve already formed a holding pattern of rejection.

However, when Lucy taking Kelly’s form mocks him (‘I don’t shag blokes with tiny cocks’), Nathan is quick to retaliate, insulting what he doesn’t know is the real Kelly.

He apologises later, but Kelly says sadly: ‘It’s stuff you say all the time. It’s who you are.’

Nathan offers: ‘I can change’, although neither seems convinced on this point, and Kelly exits, saying she just ‘wanted to make sure’ he was alright.

Meanwhile, after what Simon assumes is his encounter with the real Alisha, he approaches her to ask her on a date, admitting to having ‘thought’ about her prior to this, although he swiftly denies it when she accuses him of ‘wanking’ over her, before rejecting him with disgust (‘Freak!’)

Lucy then appears to Curtis as a wounded Alisha, claiming Simon assaulted her, causing Curtis to angrily search for Simon.

(On a meta-level, this episode encapsulates the sadly limited roles offered to Alisha: temptress and damsel in distress.)

Simon takes the opportunity while no-one else is around to dispose of Sally’s body. However, Lucy, now in Nathan’s form, finds him.

As Nathan, Lucy is particularly quick to goad Simon. When Alisha clarifies angrily ‘If I gave someone a blowjob, it wouldn’t be him!’, ‘Nathan’ gloatingly says ‘Are you gonna cry?’

It’s also Lucy as Nathan who reveals Sally’s corpse to the group, and delivers the reaction of Simon’s worst fears: ‘You’re a weird little psycho. And now everyone knows it.’

Curtis and the real Nathan question Simon later on his relationship with Lucy, with Nathan taunting Simon that he ‘can’t imagine why’ Simon had to attend psychological assessment, concluding ‘So it's just that and the murder, is it? Or is there anything else you'd like to share with the group?’

Simon however, responds to Nathan alone, however, asking in a repetition of 1x6: ‘Why would I tell you anything after the way you’ve treated me?’ He also reveals he remembers every nickname Nathan has called him, before quietly saying ‘I just want to be your friend.’

Nathan agrees swiftly: ‘Sure, man’ with uncharacteristic, awkward seriousness, to which Simon smiles.

[Gif set](http://misfitsexual.tumblr.com/post/13336855116)

For the rest of the episode, Nathan is fairly restrained, restricting his teasing to Curtis, and defending Simon (‘No man can resist a blow job, that’s how girls trick you into marrying them!’), patting him on the shoulder to his evident [surprise](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/post/159505555573/what-is-this-homo-that-you-speak-of).

The group split up to find Lucy, who appears in Simon’s form to Nathan. Nathan recognises with relative swiftness ‘It’s you! It’s…not you!’ and ‘Simon’ pushes him against a locker, biting his neck, before pushing Nathan onto an exposed pipe. As Lucy is unaware of his immortality, ‘Simon’ flees, and the real Simon enters. However, Lucy returns when Simon and Nathan are left alone, this time in Kelly’s form, hitting Simon on the head, to Nathan’s upset: ['Barry!'](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/post/161286606963)

Nathan tells Simon to leave him there (in order to pursue Lucy), as he’s about to die (again) and Lucy exits with Simon, threatening to take his form and confess his crimes to the police, in the hope he will return to the unit.

Simon persuades her with some effort not to, and apologises for ignoring her, but expresses his joy in having found a place to ‘belong’ with real friends, and that he ‘like(s) who I am now, I’ve never been so happy’.

Lucy relents, and he walks her home to the unit.

The episode concludes with the group disposing of Sally’s body. Nathan continues to fixate on Simon’s virginity status, noting that he’s had his ‘first blowjob’.

In another example of Simon’s pessimism and Nathan’s naïve optimism; the others suggest the downsides of Nathan’s power of immortality, in fairly simplistic terms: ‘You could go years without getting laid’ etc. It’s Simon who notes seriously: ‘Everyone you love will die.’ However, Nathan disregards this (‘Whatever!’) thinking only of the benefits (‘I’m gonna join the circus!’)

The importance of the group to Simon is furthered in the twitter posts, in which Simon admits he doesn’t like to think about the end of community service as it means going back to being ‘on my own’, that he wouldn’t turn back time to fix his past mistakes because he ‘wouldn’t have met the others’, and that the one thing he’s learnt is that ‘not all people are horrible’, and that he hopes Lucy ‘finds friends one day’.

Both Kelly and Simon’s twitters mention: ‘It’s good to have (Nathan) back’, with the gap in tweets over the break in airdates in Simon’s case being explained as ‘the whole Nathan thing was a bit of a shock’.

All additional material also mentions the rooftop fall as being key to both characters - [the book](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/post/160150581108/misfits-book-scans-inc-excerpt-from-a-scrapped) mentions that in his grave, Nathan fixates on it, having imaginary conversation with ‘Barry’ where he apologises for twenty minutes, before Nathan rants for 20 mins more about ‘bollocksing up a simple hand grab’ and getting him impaled, and how ‘friends do not let that happen’ before masturbating to calm down (‘Colonel hands has to talk me down’.) 

The twitter conversation between Nathan and Simon also hits on this note, as well as foreshadowing the Superhoodie reveal.

(S: ‘Can’t stop thinking about the guy in the mask’

N: ‘Have you got a mancrush? You’re obsessed you weirdo.’

S: ‘I’d like to try parkour, it would feel like flying.’

N: ‘Head up onto the roof. I’ll catch you if you fall.

Oh no wait. Maybe I’ll let YOU fall to YOUR death.’

S: ‘I tried to save you.’

N: ‘Yes but you didn’t try hard enough. That HURT.’

S: ‘I’m sorry.’

N: ‘You're lucky I'm immortal. Otherwise my ghost would have come back to haunt you for the rest of your pathetic little life.’

S: ‘My life’s not pathetic.’

N: ‘This coming from a virgin who spends his time watching extreme sports videos online. Haven't you heard of porn?’

‘Don't get your knickers in a twist Barry. I'm just winding you up. See you at community service.’)

It also clarifies Simon’s feelings: ‘Yes I like Nathan. I hope he likes me. I honestly tried my very best to save him. But it wasn't enough.’

An interview with Howard Overman on the set of this episode also hits the same beats, with Overman using the Nathan/Alisha exchange ('These are my friends', 'I'm not your friend!') as an example how they tried to avoid the group as a whole becoming too close, in contrast to individual friendships such as Nathan and Simon 'who have very much warmed to each other in the second series.'

**S2.2**

In the second episode, the focus switches from Simon to Nathan, and his discovery that he has a half-brother, made while he’s stripping on the community centre rooftop; to Kelly’s pleasure, Alisha and Curtis’ disgust, and Simon’s unwilling [fascination](https://thenamesxeno.tumblr.com/post/136218647373/this-show-was-a-gift).

Nathan admits to having always wanted a little brother (according to twitter, a desire shared by Simon, who always wanted ‘an older brother’), and this desire for connection seems reflected in his increased bonds with Kelly and Simon this week.

Simon, the first to attempt to cover for Nathan after he skips community service to get acquainted with his brother, enquires about Jamie staying at the community centre, causing Nathan to ask his first genuine question: ‘You got any brothers?’

Simon says he has a sister, to which Nathan suggests he get her together with Nathan, thrusting his hips at Simon, insisting that as a ‘close friend’ he’ll be ‘gentle’ and ‘respectful’ with her.

Interestingly, on absolutely no evidence, he appears to project onto this sister the characteristics of a female Simon, being of age and a virgin. Thankfully for the unnamed sister, she’s underage, causing a wince from both.

They also share a moment of mutual laughter, as Simon smirks at Nathan’s mockery of Shaun the probation worker.

Nathan almost seems a little cowed at an interaction without sarcasm, and smiles awkwardly back.

Meanwhile, Simon continues to investigate the Superhoodie. Nathan admits to the others that he was ‘rescued’ by him, and while he and Alisha both protest that they’re uninterested in further investigation, while watching the video Alisha shot of him, he smiles almost dreamily. 

Kelly protests at Nathan’s claim that he and his brother will be pursuing women that night at the club, to which Nathan brandishes the phone number of Lily the bartender (bit of meta casting, she was played by Iwan Rheon’s then girlfriend), to which Simon drops his eyes. 

Nathan then leans towards Simon, saying ‘She’s so into me. And she doesn’t even know it’ before kissing the mouthpiece of Simon’s gas mask (apparently adlibbed.)

Kelly and Simon are framed talking together as Nathan enters the club, and both share a liking for the Young brothers. Simon is tricked by Jamie’s friendly greeting into accepting a drink spiked with ecstasy; and Kelly and Jamie share a mild flirtation.

The power reversals brought on by the group taking ecstasy mean Kelly and Nathan again clash, however.

Kelly’s telepathy reversed has her speaking everything she thinks.

This seems positive (‘Sometimes I think I fookin’ love you!’) and Nathan is clearly touched by her worried: ‘You could get way prettier girls’, retorting ‘Who cares? I like you, and there’s no explaining that!’ but when she reveals that she’s afraid of him hurting her as he’s ‘a useless prick like (his) dad’, this hits a nerve, and he tells her he did ‘choose’ her but that now he’s going to pursue ‘the pretty one’.

As Simon’s power reverses, meanwhile, he finds himself admired by all, although this doesn’t seem to affect his confidence particularly, perhaps because they’re strangers, or just because he’s out of it. Instead, he retreats to the gents, finding Nathan in the next cubicle.

Nathan, surprised, asks ‘When you say everyone was looking at you, do you mean girls?’

Simon replies ‘Everyone’.

Nathan suggests Simon find a ‘sweet, innocent girl and take advantage’, but Simon rejects the idea, saying he can’t use his powers like that.

(In terms of character development, it appears that Simon’s power, perhaps as a genre nerd already invested in the heroic narrative, seems to offer him a moral guideline. Although he uses his invisibility in order to eavesdrop, steal and spy; once he’s friends with the group, these tend to be more related to group goals rather than individual desires; and he’s the first to argue that the powers should be used to ‘help people’ and that they shouldn’t be used for profit.)

Season two also takes Simon’s character in the direction of a more sexual being – the first episode he’s pursued by Lucy, here Nathan is suggesting ways for him to lose his virginity, the next episode has both Alisha and Nathan viewing him as a potential boyfriend, and episode 5 introduces his first girlfriend, Jessica.

Nathan suggests ‘maybe we need to build up your confidence first’.

Here the blocking is careful, so Nathan himself never sees Simon while under the charisma effect.

However, Simon, who seems to have processed the effects of their powers reversing quicker than the others, calls out as Nathan exits to pursue Lily: ‘Nathan! Make sure you don’t get killed!’

Nathan approaches the car in which his brother and Lily are kissing, but her power reversal means it bursts into flames.

Once again, Superhoodie/Future Simon intervenes, knocking a temporarily mortal Nathan to the ground and out of the way, receiving a serious wound in the process from the exploding metal.

The episode concludes with Nathan and his father making an attempt at reconciliation following Jamie’s death, and the group investigating the flat Superhoodie leads them to believe is his.

**S2.3**

Episode 3 advances the Superhoodie plot, with the reveal that he is Simon from the future, and that he came back because in the future, he and Alisha are in love.

This runs parallel to present Simon avoiding Nathan’s advances after a visit to a tattooist has caused Nathan to fall in love with him.

Nathan offers to accompany Kelly to have her tattoo ‘touched up’, to which she accepts.

We cut to a scene of them both, accompanied by Simon, approaching the tattoo shop, ‘Vince’s’.

There’s a bit of Watson/Doylist approach to Simon’s accompanying them at all on what it obviously framed as a date (even Curtis recognises this, although Kelly is hurt at his thought: ‘Those two together? How’s that gonna work?’)

Obviously in order for the plot to occur, he needs to be there, but as an in-show explanation, we can only assume he was either invited or decided to attend with neither of the other two objecting; fitting into their usual pattern of delaying intimacy.

While Kelly’s tattoo is corrected by Vince; Nathan and Simon are fascinated by Vince’s print of his barbed wire penis tattoo, which they declare ‘Very wrong’, before Simon examines Vince’s phallic snake cage.

Kelly suggests Simon get a tattoo, but he has a needle phobia.

Nathan already has several, including stars on his wrist and hips (a common emblem for gay porn stars, as a bit of trivia. These are also a deliberate choice for makeup, as the actor doesn’t have them in real life.) but he offends Vince with his judgements of Vince’s work (‘that would look gay on me, ‘cause I’ve got a beautiful face, but you! Well, you’ve seen yourself.’), as well as flirting with Kelly, who Vince expresses an interest in.

We see an SFX effect and Nathan rubbing his shoulder suddenly, and as they exit, Nathan suggests getting a drink. Kelly agrees, but Nathan retorts ‘Who asked you? I’m talking to him’, suggesting ‘quality man time, beer, wrestling’.

While Simon and Kelly have an established friendship, Simon doesn't react to this rudeness; instead smiling at this invitation, and they exit on Nathan’s ‘we don’t need her!’, to Kelly’s exasperation.

Back at the community centre, a confused Simon queries why they’re not going to a bar, but Nathan diverts: ‘Who needs a bar? We’ve got everything we need here, make yourself comfortable, take off your jacket’, telling Simon: ‘I want to know everything there is to know about you,’ and busting out the George Michael.

Simon offers awkwardly that he’s bought Battlestar Galactica on boxset.

Nathan, never known for his subtlety, tries again: ‘Tell me about your first sexual experience. Do you wanna hear about mine?’ recounting a worrying story about a tent and his mum’s friend, as he demonstrates being masturbated.

Simon notes: ‘Your hand is on my leg’, to which Nathan leans in and kisses him, first briefly, before leaning in for a full on snog.

Simon gets up, asking worriedly: ‘What are you doing?’ as Nathan tells him: ‘You don’t know how much I’ve always wanted to do that. Feel my heart, it’s racing! It’s ok, it’s ok, I’ll be gentle. Why don’t we slip your trousers off? We don’t have to fight anymore! I want to see it!’, kneeling in front of Simon, who leaves swiftly.

Nathan offers: ‘Don’t go! We don’t have to go all the way, we can just cuddle. And when you’re ready, we can do some dry humping. Call me!’

Meanwhile, Alisha is rescued by the Superhoodie, who reveals his identity, and that he can touch her despite her power, warning her not to tell the others, even Curtis.

Simon tells Kelly what happened the previous night, and Kelly tells him that Nathan must be taking the piss.

We cut to Nathan composing a love letter to Simon (‘If you open your heart, I know we can have something really beautiful, love forever, Nathan’).

Kelly greets him with a slap, telling him off for ‘dicking around with Simon’, but he defensively asks ‘Who’s dicking around?’

Kelly reminds him ‘You put your tongue in his mouth!’ to which Nathan admits ‘I might have got a little fresh with him. I couldn’t help myself, I was looking at those big, beautiful eyes, he’s like a handsome shark! I love him.’

Kelly is frustrated, demanding that Nathan stop joking, but Nathan argues his feelings are ‘pure, and true. Well, true!’ and that he ‘can’t pretend’ anymore.

At this, Kelly seems to be, if not taking the concept seriously, at least confused; asking if he’s gay.

Nathan avoids the question, professing to not see the need for ‘labels’, to which Kelly asks ‘is this the reason you and me haven’t got together?’

This is particularly interesting because, at this point, Kelly has been the one who seems in control of when the two have sex, when circumstances haven’t intervened.

We see that in 1x6 she’s willing to break into the community centre bar with Nathan after he tells her getting ‘really, really drunk’ girls is his only way of getting laid; and it’s the discovery of Virtue rather than either of them that puts halt to this.

In 2x1, it’s Kelly who decides that they’ll have sex ‘tonight’, with a new casualness to her (raising her eyebrows, blowing smoke rings and pulling an unimpressed face to Nathan’s excited: ‘You won’t regret this!’), and her that changes her mind, reminded of the nastier side of Nathan.

In 2x2, we find that she does have strong feelings for Nathan, but in an extra shot following the episode, we see his immaturity (‘How about a birthday handjob?’) and her denial of said feelings (‘That was the pills.’)

And yet here, Kelly seems to be saying that the resistance to the pair not having had sex seems to be from her perspective, at least two-way.

[A comment on a meta piece on livejournal](http://scila.livejournal.com/7518.html?thread=20574) mentions Kelly’s insecurity being provoked by this scene in particular – she seems aware that there’s some kind of external influence affecting Nathan, and swiftly recognises the culprit, visiting Vince to confront him.

However, it does seem to sting her a little that Nathan under the tattooes influence is still recognisably himself (crude, horny, annoying) but at the same time, much more romantic in his thoughts of Simon here (even quoting Jerry Maguire is preferable to ‘I can’t believe I’m thinking about shagging a chav’.)

Kelly’s brainwashing in 1x6 means she doesn’t recall Nathan’s telling her he likes her personality and appearance, and while we do hear nicer thoughts: ‘I thought I’d never see her again!’, they’re rarely matched by the words he chooses to share out loud.

This point is supported by a later episode, in which Kelly mourns her boyfriend, Bruno, who, like most love interests on Misfits, has not survived the episode.

She reflects that most people say one thing but think another, but Bruno wasn’t like that, thinking ‘nice things’ about her, to which Nathan winces a little, guiltily.

Indeed, we see the way Bruno thinks about her, to her delight, is much more in line with Nathan in this episode: where Nathan reflects: ‘I’ve never felt like this about anyone, maybe (Simon’s) what’s been missing from my life’, Bruno thinks that Kelly is: ‘everything I’ve been looking for.’

Nathan, in a speech that applies to his relationship with Kelly as much as Simon, says that he’s ‘mean’ to Simon because it’s easier to ‘degrade and humiliate’ someone than admit you love them.

At this, Kelly exits angrily, leaving Nathan to moon.

Meanwhile, Alisha approaches Simon, aware of their future destiny, thanking him for what he’s done, looking out for the group.

Simon asks ‘Why are you being so nice to me?’ to which Alisha’s eyes flood with tears, as she guiltily replies ‘I can be nice. Sometimes’, apologising if she’s ever been ‘a bitch’.

Simon tells her he thinks it’s ‘difficult for beautiful girls’ because people don’t see beyond their looks.

Interestingly, Alisha seems the only character Simon actively questions when friendly – he accepts Nathan, Kelly and even, Curtis, by far the most withholding, when they approach him, and if anything, is actively credulous.

Perhaps this is mistrust due to his experiences with Lucy taking Alisha’s form, but at this point, they do seem the least familiar with each other within the group.

Simon enters the locker room, where Nathan attempts to make amends, telling him: ‘We’ll take things slowly. When you're ready to develop the physical side of our relationship, you just let me know. No pressure.’ He is however, backing Simon into a locker.

Simon gives a hilariously low-key: ‘…Thanks.’

Nathan then admits, stroking Simon’s face, that ‘it’s hard, when you’re so cute, and I’m so horny, and there’s only a couple of thin layers of cotton separating our genitals,’ but exits, his vest revealing a tattoo of the same heart style as Vince’s, the scroll within it reading ‘Simon’.

Kelly realises Vince is responsible, but he uses his power on her, leaving her with his name emblazoned on her shoulder.

Both Kelly and Nathan are now tattooed, and Simon seems to have realised that this explains their unusual behaviour. (‘Cute AND clever!’)

Curtis however, is distracted by his worry over Alisha, to which Nathan agrees moodily: ‘love hurts, man’.

The four go to confront Vince, but upon their arrival, Kelly immediately sides with him, Curtis is quickly put out of action with a tattoo of a knife on his stomach, and Nathan is baffled and still under the spell’s influence; leaving the present Simon to take a heroic role for the first time, and confront Vince.

Noticing the nut allergy signs, he brandishes the peanuts thrown from Superhoodie earlier. (‘So butch!’)

Vince fights back with a tattoo of barbed wire around Simon’s neck, which chokes him, causing Nathan to cradle him (‘Please don’t kill him! My beautiful boy!’) but Simon’s impressive aim, even while struggling to breathe, means Vince is forced to remove the tattooes in order that Simon administer his epipen shot.

We see a brief reaction shot of Curtis recovering and a confused looking Nathan, before cutting to Kelly kicking Vince.

Future!Simon and Alisha have sex. In contrast to this scene which is heavily stylised, with a romantic soundtrack and lighting, we then see Nathan and Kelly’s awkward love scene.

Kelly asks jokingly if he’s sure he’s not ‘a big gay’, to which he poses in a mock-macho fashion before: ‘I’m about 98% certain’ and offering to ‘prove it’ to her.

Kelly agrees to his evident surprise, ‘Go on then.’

‘Really?’

‘Get on with it.’

‘All right. Prepare to be aroused.’

'Oh, just kiss me, you dick!’

However, after a few seconds of awkward fumbling on Nathan’s part and passivity on Kelly’s, she halts: ‘I’m not being funny, but is this doing anything for you?’

Nathan, similar to his 1x6 line: ‘I’m a guy, we think about shagging everyone!’, replies: ‘I’m a guy. We’re not that fussy’.

Kelly explains that it feels wrong, as if she’s doing it with her ‘cousin’, to which Nathan offers to ‘slip another finger’ in, but Kelly says they should just be ‘mates’.

Nathan makes a meta reference (‘after all those week’s build-up we’re not even gonna shag?’) but Kelly exits, to Nathan’s regretful expression.

We finish with Nathan reflecting he hasn’t died this week, to Simon, with a new confidence, dryly reminding him it’s only Thursday, there’s still time.

Nathan relies on his usual: ‘Why would you say something like that? Twat!’ to Simon’s mocking: ‘You don’t love me anymore, then?’

Nathan responds: ‘So I loved you, big deal.’

Even Curtis is amused (‘I so wanna hear this!’) as Simon jokes ‘I think we should talk about this.’

Nathan fronts it out: ‘If we’d have (had sex), it would have been the best sex you’d ever had. Correction, the only sex you’d ever had!’

Kelly asks ‘Don’t you ever get embarrassed by anything?’

‘Not really, no.’ Nathan denies, although his short ‘We done?’ and show of fingering a mannequin (‘They love it!’) would indicate otherwise.

 

The promotions for the episode featured posed shots not used in the episode, one being an adoring Simon smiling at Nathan. 

The twitter posts include Nathan suggesting Simon sleep with Ruth: ‘it’s about time he lost his cherry’; Simon’s nightmare that he had a nut allergy and Nathan made him play ‘Russian roulette with revels’; and Simon mentioning how Nathan told him Careless Whisper was his ‘standby (seduction) song’ – guess they did talk about it, then!


	4. The Pairing: S2 4-7, and Nathan/Alisha parallels

**S2.4**

2x4 resolves the Superhoodie plotline in terms of featuring two Simons at the same time.

In this episode, a stranger joins the community service team (to Nathan’s particular displeasure and the bemusement of Shaun the probation worker: ‘Are you saying he’s a new member of the gang?’ ‘Whatever.’) but is promptly shot by Tim, who’s power is viewing the world as if it were a videogame.

Tim asks for ‘Conti’, the character it’s his quest to pursue, and Nathan jokingly points to Simon, ‘Oh, it’s him, he’s a right Conti’.

Tim then fixates on them, viewing Simon as ‘Conti’, his former friend, and Kelly as his ex-fiancée. He shoots Ollie, the new boy, and the others escape.

Kelly is repelled at Nathan’s reaction: ‘He would never have fit in’ although Curtis, hilariously, can’t rewind time himself: ‘I’m not feeling it. I didn’t know him.’

Nathan argues ‘Better him than me!’ but at Simon’s reminder ‘You’re immortal’, Nathan scowls and admits ‘Better him than one of you.’

Later, Superhoodie reveals that he’s literally playing god, as when Alisha asks why he didn’t stop Ollie’s death, he replies: ‘I can’t save everyone’ and that saving Ollie would mean losing Nikki, the girl he arranged for Curtis to meet.

(On a meta-level this becomes more disturbing with the S2 finale reveal that Nikki dies, leading to the suspicion that preserving Nikki’s life here is more about providing Curtis with a new girlfriend in order to alleviate Simon’s guilt about sleeping with Alisha behind his back; as well as distracting Alisha from Curtis.)

Teeny grace note here, but at this point, Superhoodie puts on a metal plated necklace. Jewellery’s an association with Superhoodie, he broke into Alisha’s flat in the preceding episode in order to return her stolen necklace, and later gives her the necklace he's wearing so she can visit whenever she wishes. We never see the attached key, but the style and length strongly resemble [the one](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/post/160866286123/same-necklace) Nathan wears.

The group discuss investigating who killed Ollie.

Nathan is for denial, his usual approach. (Simon: ‘We can’t just pretend it didn’t happen!’ Nathan: ‘Hey, I do that all the time!’)

Curtis agrees, considering it too dangerous, but Alisha, influenced by her association with Superhoodie, has shifted into considering the idea at least.

There’s also a fascinating moment here, no dialogue, in which Nathan and Simon lean for the same paint bucket, Nathan goes to help Simon, awkwardly, and Simon just glares, suspiciously.

Nathan, who’s already forgotten that he told Tim Simon was Conti (‘Did I? Sorry, man.’) demands Simon buy him a drink, before Alisha bursts in, revealing Tim has kidnapped Kelly.

This panics Nathan, who demands of Simon ‘Do something, you little freak!,’ in a callback to 1x6.

When they discover the video game Tim is living, Nathan however, is swiftly distracted.

Simon theorises that according to the gameplay, giving Tim’s character the money stolen from him by Conti should cause him to release Kelly, and suggests robbing a bank. Nathan agrees, but Shaun overhears, causing Nathan to divert with ‘No, I said…have a big wank. Communal masturbation, the old circle jerk.’

Simon’s ‘thinking about the future all the time’ has already influenced Alisha, and here we see Nathan is beginning to reflect too, suggesting that with their abilities, they become ‘criminals’. (Simon: ‘I thought we’d use our powers to help people.’)

With the stolen money, the group meet Tim.

Simon and Nathan are the two characters reliably used for meta references; in Simon’s case with direct references to similar plot-lines in films, Nathan’s more focusing on breaking the fourth wall (‘let's just dump her and worry about that stuff next week. Or maybe even the week after that!’)

Here he suggests: ‘We’ve all watched TV, that’s how you learn this stuff, just…butch it up and play gangster.’

In contrast to his Superhoodie future self, Simon is unable to pass the money to Tim with much grace, and is quickly knocked unconscious by Tim, who chains everyone up.

Despite Nathan’s attempts to swing out of his chains, he succeeds only in wrapping his thighs around Simon’s face, which if nothing else, wakes him up.

They suggest Nathan tells Tim he’s the undercover cop, as his death will resolve the game and only be temporary. Nathan refuses, and it's only at Simon's angry expression that he feels guilty enough to take action.

However, Curtis kicks Tim in the face, giving Alisha the opportunity to escape. When she's cornered by Tim, Superhoodie purposely intervenes (we see him literally timing his entrance to the second), taking the bullet and telling Alisha he has to die so she can fall in love with his present self, despite her protestations (‘I don’t love him! I love you!’) , insisting ‘It’s all coming together’, and demanding she burn his body so no one knows who he was.

The accompanying material for this episode was ‘Plain Wrong’, a surveillance footage video of Nathan modelling the wedding dress Tim forced Kelly to wear (‘You’ll masturbate to this later, I guarantee it! It just feels right.’), tweeting: ‘I looked majestic in that dress, like a dolphin. A really hot dolphin’ and Simon’s tweet: ‘Nathan's pestering me to rob another bank. He said if I get him one million pounds he'll stop questioning my sexuality.’

**S2.5**

Nathan walks in on a girl changing at the community centre after her running practice, and leers (‘If it were me bent over in a lovely pair of knickers, are you telling me you wouldn’t treat yourself to a good eyeful? You know you would!’) before being brutally killed by an unknown attacker.

Meanwhile, a tearful and lonely Alisha approaches the present Simon, fishing a little by offering to walk in with him: ‘Unless you’re embarrassed to be seen with me?’

Nathan reveals he died the previous night, to little sympathy. After the others agree that they can think of ‘shitloads’ of reasons why someone would kill him, he turns hopefully to Simon, who smiles affectionately, saying: ‘You annoy people.’

For someone who prides themselves on being unaffected by what people say to him, this clearly stings, prompting Nathan to rant: ‘Why would you say that? That’s very hurtful. I thought we were friends. You ungrateful little twat!’

Alisha defends Simon, to the other’s surprised reactions; causing the inevitable ‘Do you love him?’ from Nathan, which devolves into a conversation about whether or not men can blow themselves.

(According to Nathan, in what appears to be a shot at Kelly, if they could, ‘the female of the species would be surplus to requirements’.)

Nathan then recognises Jessica, the girl he saw the night before, telling Curtis and Alisha that he thinks it was her that killed him, realising: ‘Oh Jesus, she’s after Barry.’

Jessica and Simon are engaging in a sweetly awkward flirtation, however, and when confronted, Simon protests ‘She wouldn’t do that!’

Nathan argues that a beautiful girl is unlikely to just appear, and the group recall the other instances in which romantic pursuits have ended suspiciously (Ruth, Sally, Lucy), Nathan then wavering from the point to: ‘and did you know some of these marathon runners shit themselves?’

Simon, however, takes the questions personally. While Curtis, Alisha and Nathan are trying to dissuade Simon, Simon is focusing only on Nathan, asking angrily: ‘So, you think that if a girl likes me, there must be something wrong with her?’

Alisha denies this: ‘No! That’s not what we’re saying’, but Simon looks to Nathan, who raises his eyebrows defiantly and says ‘I thought that was exactly what we were saying.’

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the two characters who’ve teased Simon about fancying them previously spur Simon to ask out Jessica in defiance.

Nathan is still fixated on the topic later, watching a tv programme on black widow spiders.

He spots a boy, Chris, arguing with Jessica after she rejects him, and exploring the centre, finds Chris dying from a slit throat.

He calls Alisha (their mutual distaste illustrated in ‘Why are you calling me?’ ‘No one else was picking up!’) and they agree that they need to spy on Simon’s date with Jessica.

Upon meeting Alisha, Nathan seems over Kelly enough to cheerfully theorise that she and Curtis could be hooking up (since neither could be reached), which Alisha rejects as an option.

The mood shifts as the date progresses however, and Nathan asks: ‘So why are you here? It’s not like you and him are big pals.’

Alisha bites back: ‘What, and you are? Why are you here?’

Nathan, usually quickest to deflect ‘girl stuff…feelings and shit’ admits almost before Alisha’s finished: ‘Maybe I like him more than I let on’, eyes shining, expression almost upset.

Alisha agrees ‘Maybe I do, too’, and Nathan smiles, looking into the distance almost dreamily: ‘Little bastard gets under your skin, doesn’t he?’

[Gif set](http://likecharity.tumblr.com/post/127337537059%20).

Neither Alisha or Nathan are particularly stealthy however, and Simon swiftly discovers them.

They protest that they were worried, and persuade him back to the community centre, but Chris’ body is gone.

Simon argues that Jessica was with him and therefore had an alibi, to which Nathan frustratedly asks ‘Why would I make it up?’

Simon now knows Nathan well enough to at least recognise that he’s not joking, but instead suggests: ‘Maybe you’re jealous?’

While the inference would seem to be ‘Maybe you’re jealous that this beautiful girl’ (who Nathan’s repeatedly described as attractive) ‘likes me?’ Nathan answers as if it’s ‘Maybe you’re jealous of me being attractive’, with a defensive comparison: ‘Look at me? Beautiful. Look at you. Not so much.’

At this, Simon’s stung. Simon is also completely failing to engage with Alisha here at all - she asks ‘then why am I here?’ and he simply says ‘I don’t know,’ turning back to Nathan to warn him: ‘You stay away from Jessica.’

[Gif set.](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/post/159540813878/beyotch-favorite-episode-s02e05-what-i)

Nathan offers lamely ‘YOU stay away from her.’ Simon refuses, to which Nathan helplessly says ‘Well, I think you should!’ But Simon exits, to Alisha and Nathan’s exchanged sighs.

Jessica invites Simon and his friends to the party to celebrate her charity fun-run.

While Nathan is still convinced Jessica is up to no good, he’s clearly ready to try some attempt at subterfuge, and insincerely apologises: ‘You were right, man, I was jealous…of your, er neat hair, and your strange staring the ladies seem to love so much’, he says, gazing at Simon (interesting he picks the eyes, considering Simon’s ‘big, beautiful eyes’ are what he admires under the tattoo's influence.)

This is framed as an almost post break up scene – it’s Nathan Simon presents the ticket to, smirking. At Nathan’s ‘I hope you and….lovely, lovely Jessica….I hope you’ll be very happy together!’, Simon offers ‘You’ll find your own girlfriend’, to which Nathan replies that he already has, offering an obviously fake name, before reminding Simon he’ll see him there as ‘this party's happening ten feet from my bedroom’.

The party begins, and Simon and Jessica’s kissing is met with a reaction shot to Nathan and Alisha scowling. 

However, the reveal turns out to be that Jessica’s dad is responsible for the killings, becoming insanely over-protective of his daughter after the storm.

(A scene in which he kills a boy dressed in the same costume as Simon leads to this little shot at the urinals, a fascination for the writer clearly, as S3 features Simon in a similar role to Nathan’s in 2x3: being under a power’s influence and being mistaken as [gay](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/post/160548031343/lol-broke-my-not-reblogging-the-later-seasons\)). 

The plot is resolved, with Alisha actually taking an active role, and as a bonus, lovely moments for Nathan/Kelly and even Curtis/Alisha as she reassures him she’s okay with his new relationship with Nikki.

Nathan requests the details of what happened to Jessica.

Simon says Jessica isn’t a killer, she’s a virgin.

Nathan, vindicated, says he knew there was ‘something wrong with her,’ to which Simon shyly admits she isn’t a virgin any longer, and therefore neither is he.

At this, Nathan hugs Simon, telling him he’s proud and touching his face (to a displeased reaction shot from Alisha, hilariously.)

Simon grins happily as Nathan tells him he’ll expect to hear the disgusting details, and the shot pulls out to them clinking cans in celebration and Simon’s ‘Maybe this is what it feels like to be a superhero.’

The extra material resolves the Jessica plotline, with a video of Simon and Kelly discussing the date Jessica and he have arranged afterwards.

Simon is nervous of seeing her again, Kelly compliments him (‘You look nice’), but he mentions Nathan criticised his clothes (despite having no reason to dislike Jessica anymore.) However, Jessica cancels their date as it’s too difficult with her father being in jail, causing Simon to disappear in misery.

Nathan’s twitter account goes into detail: ‘Upset Simon won’t dish the dirt, friends are supposed to share everything! Wonder if he turned invisible when he came. Bet he filmed it. I’ve taught him well.’

(Teaching Simon about sex is also a repeated theme in Misfits – when Alisha and Future Simon first have sex, he mentions ‘I had a good teacher. You’, but in the episode in which they first have sex as their present selves, it’s unsuccessful, with Simon going to Nathan afterwards for advice.)

**S2.6**

Penultimate episode of S2, or arguably the real finale, with the last one being a Xmas special three months ahead.

In a scene situated in the urinals, Nathan checking out both Simon and Curtis to the latter’s disgust (‘Nice cock, man!’ ‘Fuck off!’) it’s revealed that Brian, a man with the power to control dairy products, has gone public about his abilities.

This once again puts Simon and Nathan as opposing sides, pitting Simon’s paranoia (‘They’ll treat us like freaks! They'll lock us up in a secret military facility and conduct experiments on us!’) against Nathan’s attention-seeking (‘Let’s go be famous!’)

While Nathan is the only Misfit who’s home life is explored in the first two seasons, Simon’s swift reaction: ‘We go into hiding…and break off all connection with our family and friends’, dramatic though it is, would seem to demonstrate a poor relationship with his family, as does his reference to his parents ‘freaking out’ about the invisibility, to the point of him leaving their house. Simon opts out of pursuing fame with the others, but remains within the loop – sharing Nathan’s hotel room, as he ‘didn’t have anywhere else to go.’

(There’s a cute establishing shot where we see what is clearly a one-night stand exiting Nathan’s hotel room, directing Simon, who represses a little smile.) 

Nathan’s hedonism now that the group are famous has resulted unsurprisingly in an STI (‘One of the three girls I had sex with last night in the club had very poor personal hygiene!’).

This is discovered while he and Simon are hanging around his room with neither wearing trousers.

Once resolved, we cut to a happy Nathan in his underwear, checking out his own cock, leering at Simon: ‘I'll tell you something, though. It's all cleared up. You know, down there. As clean as a new pin’, while he and Simon do shots.

 

(The promo for this episode also uses a shot not seen in the episode, of Simon smirking in response.)

However, they’re interrupted by Alisha. Nathan reminds Simon to hide if he still wishes to remain incognito.

Alisha enters, asking if Nathan’s seen Simon.

Simon, invisible, eavesdrops, as Alisha mentions that fame feels ‘pointless’. This is an interesting character progression – usually Nathan’s the naïve one, but here he’s cheerfully nihilistic: ‘Of course it’s pointless!’ whereas Alisha, who can be jaded (‘It’s too early for this bullshit!’) has the more innocent expectations of celebrity as solely positive.

Alisha mentions that Simon said to her once that community service was the best time in his life, which Simon is alerted by, realising he’s never said such a thing to his knowledge.

Simon exits, following her to the lair, where she makes the big reveal about Superhoodie’s identity and their relationship, saying that she hopes that one day they will be together again, and that if he thinks he’s surprised, ‘imagine how I feel’.

Simon mentions it’s like ‘Terminator’, but Alisha is mystified, and the scene ends on their confusion as to what happens next.

Meanwhile, Brian (arguably a dark mirror to Simon from S1, his motivation is being ignored: ‘You think I’m a nobody… the only time people like me really get noticed is when we kill a shitload of people’) pursues and kills healer Daisy, his publicist, his ex-girlfriend, and eventually Nikki, Kelly and Alisha via the medium of…cheese.

Kelly’s ghost appears to Nathan, who angrily confronts Brian; but Brian’s power allows him to cut off the oxygen to Nathan’s brain. Simon discovers Nathan, alive but unaware of his presence, then the others, cradling Alisha tearfully, before exiting, pulling up his jacket hood.

[Gif set.](http://drcassandrailly.tumblr.com/post/15907626492)

Simon protects Curtis (who is lactose intolerant, and therefore immune to Brian’s powers) by standing in front of a knife aimed at him (arguably unnecessarily, as he was invisible at the time and therefore had the advantage on Brian, but Superhoodie seems wedded to dying in the service of others) and Curtis rewinds time, saving everyone. The episode concludes on the last day of community service, with Simon telling the others that getting to know them all was indeed, ‘the best time of my life’.

[Gif set.](http://lookatthelights.tumblr.com/post/118974584549)

Nathan is still focusing on the future, ala Simon: ‘What are we going to do tomorrow? Or the day after that?’ and has adopted a new pessimism (‘We have just been shat out onto a huge pool of piss with all the other long-term unemployable!’) but they all exit on Kelly’s shrugged: ‘Does anyone fancy a drink?’, with the last line being Nathan’s: ‘Yeah, sure, man. Y'know, apart from all the killing and the dying and stuff, this community service really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be,’ punctuating this by slapping Simon’s ass, to Simon's grin. (Another adlib apparently.)

S

**S2.7**

The last episode of Season 2 is the Christmas special. Here begins the retooling of the entire show.

We skip ahead to three months after the last episode. Kelly is working for the council sweeping, Curtis and Alisha are bartending, Nathan is handing out leaflets dressed as Santa, and while it’s unknown what Simon’s doing for work, he and Alisha are confirmed to be living together in Superhoodie’s lair.

Aware of his future destiny as Superhoodie, Simon is pursuing parkour (‘I have to learn sometime’), however, Alisha is worried at the risk (‘I’m not pushing you around in a wheelchair!’) However, they still can’t touch each other.

Nathan catches up the audience: ‘So how did it all go so right for you? You end up with a cool flat, and a beautiful girlfriend. I think I liked it better when you suffered from a crippling shyness.’

This episode introduces the concept of buying, selling and trading powers, with the introduction of a new character, Seth the power dealer, who joins the cast in S3.

Alisha gives away her power to Seth, telling Simon she ‘misses’ sex with him (i.e. his future self) and that she wants it to be ‘like it was’.

However, we cut to their post-sex disappointed faces, Simon asking ‘He was much better than me, wasn’t he?’

Alisha says ‘No, it was different’, but Simon isn’t reassured: ‘I hate thinking about you being with him.’

Alisha – arguably a little disingenuously, considering we’ve seen her previously differentiate Superhoodie and the present Simon (‘I don’t love him! I love you!’) protests ‘You’re the same person!’ but Simon exits angrily on ‘Except he’s much better than me, isn’t he? You’ll always love him more than you love me.’

Meanwhile, Nathan meets Marnie, a pregnant girl alone on Christmas. They bond over being space cadets (‘I like dwarves!’ ‘Me, too!’), and have sex, with Nathan deciding afterwards that he wants to be there for her and the baby.

The morning after is interrupted, however, by Simon, who has of course gone straight to Nathan to vent. Despite Nathan and Marnie only spending a day together, she recognises ‘Barry’ instantly: ‘Nathan’s told me loads about you!’ to Simon’s bemused ‘…Who’s she?’

Interestingly, upon Simon’s depressed ‘We had sex,’ Nathan leaps to the assumption that it’s Alisha, despite being long established as more physically attractive and sexually experienced than Simon, as the disappointing one: ‘Ah! So you finally get to sample the goods, and they're not as advertised?’, guessing at things that could be wrong with her body.

Simon clarifies ‘It was me. I was shit,’ causing Nathan to offer ‘sex tips from a far more experienced lover!’ 

Learning Alisha’s sold her powers and the situation with Marnie causes Nathan to sell his own. (Marnie’s first reaction, aptly: ‘Where did you get this money? Did you suck off some fat German tourist?’)

Further cracks develop in Simon and Alisha’s relationship, as Alisha confesses she just wants them to be ‘a normal couple’, urging him to sell his own power.

Simon argues ‘I don’t think we ever can be’.

Alisha tells him he doesn’t need invisibility as he’s not ‘that person anymore’ (a refrain often repeated for this pairing), but Simon disagrees: ‘It’s part of who I am.’

Alisha then lies, telling him the future him told her they should do this.

Later, in a distractingly creepy filming choice, Simon’s thoughtfully looking at Superhoodie’s photos is interrupted by the lights switching off overhead one by one, as Alisha tells him ‘You just need some practice (to) get good.’ We see them having sex, mainly him eating her out (as he did as Superhoodie), so I guess if he didn’t try the menthol sweets Nathan suggested, maybe the position worked for them.

The group meet in the bar. Nathan blags drinks and fools around, to the disgusted faces of everyone but Simon, who is smiling affectionately.

[Gif set.](http://dead-end-street.tumblr.com/post/7677480699)

Nikki and Curtis have decided to use the money from selling their powers to travel to Thailand, prompting Nathan to recall his own extensive travel experience, warning Curtis off ‘ladyboys’ (Simon: ‘You’ve been to Thailand?’ Nathan: ‘I met this little fella at a party on the estate.’ Alisha: ‘What, and you went with him?’ Nathan: ‘Let's just say, I didn't not go with him.’) before they’re interrupted by a robber.

Nathan confronts the guy: ‘Go ahead, shoot me! I’m immortal!’ before Simon interjects: ‘No you’re not!’ causing Nathan to duck, and the gunman’s aim is then on Nikki, exiting the toilet, and she’s shot dead.

Curtis leaves, determined to get his power back, followed by Kelly, who realising her telepathy could have alleviated the situation, and Nathan, who finally has a reason to live with ‘Marnie and the baby’.

Alisha refuses to accompany them, arguing she can’t go back ‘to being like that’, to which Simon kisses her and exits too.

The episode previously focusing on Alisha (1x3) was criticised by some for Alisha’s characterisation being based around learning 'lessons' by nearly getting raped.

Here this well is unfortunately returned to again, as the villain, Edward/’Jesus’ uses her own power on her, before being interrupted by the robber offering his ill-gotten gains. Alisha confesses to Simon that she lied, but there’s little time for much emotional resolution, as Simon vows to kill ‘Jesus’.

The group gather. Edward’s reference to the corruption of the Catholic church prompts a particularly dark joke, where Nathan mentions childhood sexual abuse once again: ‘When I was growing up in Ireland, if the priests weren’t fiddling with you, you were one of the ugly kids!’ with the camera taking in reaction shots of a shocked Marnie and Simon.

 

Marnie goes into labour, with Nathan asking the others to be godparents (‘She doesn't have any other friends and neither do I’) and the episode ends on a cliff-hanger in which the group go to purchase new powers from Seth.

This is the last episode for Sheehan, although a mini-episode has him and Marnie in Vegas, using his new power of magic to cheat the casino.

Unfortunately, two flakes isn’t a great combination for pulling off schemes (Nathan: ‘Did you know there was no seven on a dice?’ Marnie: ‘I was never good at maths at school.’ Nathan: ‘Nobody tells me anything!’) and he’s arrested.

Despite Nathan’s protestations that he’s too ‘pretty’ for jail, his one phone call to Simon is intercepted by ‘new guy’ Rudy, who, not recognising Simon as ‘Barry’, hangs up; and Nathan’s carted off.

The first episode of S3 briefly references this, as Alicia and Simon mention being invited over for the wedding, and Alisha lampshades the ending: ‘Don’t need to tell the future to see that’s going to end badly.’

The [tie-in book](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/post/159618044373/nawww-social-media-cuties), released after S4, refers to characters of series 1-4.

Nathan’s time in prison is described, along with his cellmate Aryan Joe, as well as his description of his preferred jail image as a ‘hungry power bottom covered in shit’, charmingly.

His and Marnie’s first Christmas with Nathan Jr. is also mentioned, with an invitation sent to the other Misfits involving a schedule of: wine and ketamine, sex with Marnie while the others look after the baby, shots, followed by games of ‘non consensual sex in the dark’ which he’s quick to mention ‘old pantysniffer will cheat’ at, and the ‘fight’ followed by the ‘love in’, with ‘back rubs’, ‘hugs’ and ‘maintaining eye contact just that bit too long.’ 

**Simon/Alisha**

With relevance to the Nathan/Simon pairing, what’s interesting about Simon/Alisha are the strong parallels between Nathan and Alisha, which is perhaps why they don’t get along – too alike.

Both can be callous – when burying Sally, they’re the only two characters comfortable eating Cornettos stored in the same freezer as her body. They’re both quick to mock their friends (when Kelly is made bald by a power, Alisha giggles: ‘She looked like an alien’, to which Nathan responds ‘Aw, don’t be mean. …She did, didn’t she?’ before cracking up, too.)

They’re first to flee danger in the pilot, both when the storm initially appears and having angered their team mates (Nathan by taunting Curtis about his running ban, Alisha by labelling Kelly a ‘chav’) although they develop bravery when their friends are in danger (when Kelly is taken by Tim, Alisha protests, approaching him even as he waves a gun; likewise, Nathan confronts the Virtue gang, unaware he has a power, and armed only with a water pistol.)

Both love attention and are constantly provocative, whether this means strip teasing, simulating masturbation, or performing oral sex on a bottle.

They can also both court danger, despite their attempts to avoid harm – Alisha decides to insult an aggressive stranger in the hope of being rescued and finding out the identity of the Superhoodie; while Nathan asks four car thieves for a gang bang as a distraction in order to aid his brother.

Their attitude to Simon in particular is mirrored, although ironically, it’s Nathan, not Alisha, who starts to soften to him first.

In Season 1, Simon’s asking the others to go for a drink is rejected, with Nathan mocking him: ‘Are you asking me on a date?’

In Season 2, Simon asks Alisha out, to which she says incredulously: ‘Are you asking me out? Have you been wanking over me?’

Both however, can be harsh (in comparison to the fairly laid-back Curtis and Kelly), and also refer to Simon as a ‘freak’, and ask him if he’s been ‘sniffing knickers’.

They can also be arrogant – good-looking, they’re repeatedly referred to as ‘beautiful’ by themselves and others, and expect others to be ‘grateful’ for their interest and friendship.

Simon is clearly fascinated by both on this level – a section of his Superhoodie wall is devoted to Alisha, creating a neat parallel with his DVD of footage he’s filmed of Nathan. When he first turns invisible, he approaches Kelly, Alisha and Nathan in the locker-room, but the camera’s focus tightens to Alisha, applying lipbalm in the mirror, and Nathan taking his top off.

Both also show interest in Simon sexually in S2, due to the influence of powers – in the season opener, Lucy, in an effort to win him over, approaches him in Alisha’s form to give him oral sex.

In Season 2, episode 3, the Future!Simon/Alisha plotline runs concurrently with Nathan, under the influence of a tattoo, kneeling down and attempting the same.

Nathan in this episode also cradles a choking Simon in a Pieta pose that Alisha in the next episode takes with the mortally wounded Superhoodie.

[Shot comparisons](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/post/161421454733/aw-simon-has-a-type-lol)

Simon in Superhoodie’s guise also makes particular effort to preserve their safety in particular – they’re the only two characters he speaks to verbally, they react with similar awe to him when he saves them, asking in wonder: ‘Who are you?’ and he takes physical risks to save them that he doesn’t for the others; getting shrapnel from an exploding car in his side causing him to bleed heavily as he knocks Nathan out of the way of danger in 2x2; and taking a bullet for Alisha in 2x4.


	5. Fics, meta, art, fanvids

Misfits is a small enough fandom you can probably binge on all the content.

 

I haven't done an extensive search for fanart, but there's an adorable [drawing](http://nathanyoungs.tumblr.com/post/115773399624/a-redraw-i-did-of-our-favorite-screencap-ever-i) here. 

 

Fanvideo wise, due to varying restrictions on YouTube depending on where you lived, I've only linked to my tumblr tag for fanvids. At the time of writing, all the Misfits ones are on the [first page](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/tagged/fanvid/%20). 

 

I also have a tumblr [ tag](http://slinkhard.tumblr.com/tagged/nathan%2Fsimon) for the pairing where I reblogged and hopefully credited all the gif and cap creators of the shots I used here, as well as anything else I find of interest. 

 

Tumblr isn't my favourite form of fic archival, due to the layout and the tendency for makers to delete, however, I did find two fics for this pairing over there: 

[Mollymatterrs' au](http://mollymatterrs.tumblr.com/post/94820910376/can-you-write-a-roommates-au-with-alexthad-from%20%20http://rudybootyarchive-blog-blog.tumblr.com/post/69138923675/misfits-drabbles-12) and Rudybooty's [drabble.](http://rudybootyarchive-blog-blog.tumblr.com/post/69138923675/misfits-drabbles-12)

 

At fanfiction.net, there are five authors with multiple Nathan/Simon fics: [anakinodair](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3224291/anakinodair), [sora563](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2067053/sora563), [MasteringtheMachine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2978683/MasteringtheMachine), [mimeo](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2707083/mimeo) and [whyamitheinvisiblecunt](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3452872/whyamitheinvisiblecunt).

There are also five fics, ['Control'](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6659673/1/Control), ['Fancy'](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7327719/1/Fancy), ['For Sale'](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7215507/1/For-Sale), ['The Locker Room'](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7292890/1/The-Locker-Room) and ['Take Two'.](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9188429/1/Take-Two)

 

At livejournal, there's a now inactive kink meme, with fills from [lin](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=790%20), [eastdisease](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=88086), [sixtyninebro](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=71702), as well as three by author wisecracks, [here](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=17686), [here](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=47638%20) and [here](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=206870).

There's also nine anon fills, ['I told you the false and I showed you the truth'](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=210710), ['Five Things That Didn't Happen At Christmas'](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=194070), ['here comes the bride'](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=104470), and untitled fills [here](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=7702) [here](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=76822%20), [here](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=9238%20), [here](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=133654), [here](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=152086) and [here.](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=2838%20)

❤ [tooursavior](http://tooursavior.livejournal.com/tag/fanfiction) has five [fics.](http://tooursavior.livejournal.com/7162.html)

❤ [frozenmolasses](http://frozenmolasses.livejournal.com/tag/tv%3A%20misfits) has three fics.

❤ [kuroshokora](http://kuroshokora.livejournal.com/tag/misfits) has three fics.

❤ [musicnlyrics37](http://musicnlyrics37.livejournal.com/tag/misfits) has three [fics.](http://misfitskink.livejournal.com/790.html?thread=82710)

❤ [workingmachine](http://workingmachine.livejournal.com/tag/fandom%3A%20misfits) has three fics.

❤ [isarn](http://isarn.livejournal.com/tag/pairing%3A%20nathan%2Fsimon) has two fics, one a Nathan/Simon/Alisha fic.

❤ [youremyqueen](http://youremyqueen.livejournal.com/tag/fandom%3A%20misfits) has two fics and a picspam of show's pairings.

❤ [balphas](http://balphas.livejournal.com/tag/fic%3A%20misfits) has two fics.

❤ [thickets](http://misfitsfics.livejournal.com/tag/author%3A%20thickets) has two fics.

❤ [il-faut](http://il-faut.livejournal.com/tag/fandom%3A%20misfits) has two fics.

❤ [jeezy](http://misfitse4.livejournal.com/181809.html) wrote 'A Match Made'. 

❤ [inlightsshadow](http://inlightsshadow.livejournal.com/37780.html) wrote 'Burden'.

❤ [nimuu](http://nimuu.livejournal.com/7683.html) wrote 'Growing Pains' (as far as I know, the first fic for this pairing.) 

❤ [vineann](http://vineann.livejournal.com/985.html) wrote 'Sexy Black Briefs'.

❤ [goddess09807](http://goddess09807.livejournal.com/20304.html) wrote 'The Middle', a Simon/Nathan/Alisha fic.

❤ [jooles34](http://jooles34.livejournal.com/75160.html) wrote 'Holding Back'.

❤ [wilde-shade](http://wilde-shade.livejournal.com/11997.html) wrote 'The Picture of Nathan Young'.

❤ [feelingsofine](http://misfitsfics.livejournal.com/6564.html%20) wrote 'Good Feeling'.

❤ [joidianne4eva](http://misfitsfics.livejournal.com/tag/author%3A%20joidianne4eva) wrote 'Changeable'

❤ [downjune](http://downjune.livejournal.com/60382.html#cutid1) wrote 'Sometimes Offer More Than Talking'

❤ [girljustdied](http://girljustdied.livejournal.com/49301.html%20) wrote 'Rush and A Push'

 

At A03 (yes, here! Go forth, and press that kudos button!), there's:

❤ [setos_puppy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/setos_puppy/works?fandom_id=12494821)'s eight fics. [Plus one on livejournal not currently archived at A03.](http://misfitsfics.livejournal.com/8683.html)

❤ [NinjaKitten](http://archiveofourown.org/users/NinjaKitten/works?fandom_id=12494821%20)'s 3 fics.

❤ [Thrayonlosa](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Thrayonlosa/works?fandom_id=12494821%20)'s 2 fics.

❤ [toesohnoes](http://archiveofourown.org/users/toesohnoes/works?fandom_id=12494821)'s 2 fics.

❤ [Welfycat](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Welfycat/works?fandom_id=12494821%20)'s 2 fics.

❤ [Lauren_Flowerpot](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauren_Flowerpot/works?fandom_id=12494821)'s 2 fics 

❤ [entanglednow](http://archiveofourown.org/users/entanglednow/works?fandom_id=12494821%20)'s 2 fics. 

❤ [tyhyin](http://archiveofourown.org/series/339067%20)'s series.

❤ [Not-Poignant](http://archiveofourown.org/works/630059/chapters/1139318%20)'s multichapter longfic: 'Science of Fear'

❤ [abigail_kinney4life](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1930893/chapters/4169946%20)'s multichapter longfic: 'Tie My Heart Back Together With String'

❤ [spindlekiss](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7644979%20)'s fic 'All The Beauty Seen'.

❤ [calico](http://archiveofourown.org/works/531565%20)'s fic 'Not Exactly A Reassuring Model of Consent'. 

❤ [moorishflower](http://archiveofourown.org/works/135084%20)'s 'Episode 1.3'

❤ [LelithSugar's](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11391183) 'Blue Steel'

❤ [recrudescence](http://archiveofourown.org/works/151205%20)'s 'Adventures in Exhibitionism'.

❤ [Tuckerpuppy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7818550%20)'s 'Say You Love Me'. 

❤ [A.M.Kelley](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10393860%20)'s 'As It Should Be'. 

❤ [cyfarrwydd](http://archiveofourown.org/works/253795%20)'s 'In All But A Name'.

❤ [weirdpurplepanda](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3856042)'s 'Barry Likes Me?!' 

❤ [pervinca](http://archiveofourown.org/works/523335%20)'s 'Simon and Nathan Make A Porno'.

❤ [kali](http://archiveofourown.org/works/140674%20)'s 'a sonata for two simons'

❤ [comade](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11037321/chapters/24601548%20)'s 'Meet Me On the Roof'. 

❤ [emonym23](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1814176%20)'s 'Kill Me, Kiss Me?' 

❤ [tortellini](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10965306%20)'s '9 Times Simon Bellamy was Insulted' 

 

❤ For vanities sake, there's also [my](http://archiveofourown.org/users/slinkhard/works?fandom_id=12494821) fic and two videos. 

 

If I've missed anything, or you just want to comment, feel free. I'm also at Tumblr.

 

 

 


End file.
